Magister Course in Practical Philosophy
The one-year Master’s course in practical philosophy offers an intellectually stimulating and supportive postgraduate environment. You will be taught and supervised by members of faculty who are internationally well connected and actively involved in research.
The Master's course practical philosophy includes such fields as metaethics, normative ethics and political philosophy. The course is for students who are well-trained in analytical philosophy and who aim to pursue doctoral studies. It includes a thesis of 30 credits.
Admission
Admission is offered only once a year, for the autumn semester.
Application period
March 15–April 19, 2022
Requirements
Bachelor course in practical philosophy (90 ECTS credits) or equivalent.
Eligibility criteria
If there are more applications than positions, the positions will be allocated based on the grades and the relevance of academic courses, the quality/subject of the bachelor thesis and motivation letter. Please do not forget to upload the motivation letter when you apply!
About the motivation letter and writing sample
How to apply
Click on the application box in the right hand column.
Information for admitted students Autumn 2023
Congratulations! You have been admitted at Stockholm University and we hope that you will enjoy your studies with us.
In order to ensure that your studies begin as smoothly as possible we have compiled a short checklist for the beginning of the semester.
Follow the instructions on whether you have to reply to your offer or not.
universityadmissions.se
Checklist for admitted students
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Activate your university account
The first step in being able to register and gain access to all the university's IT services.
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Register at your department
Registration can be done in different ways. Read the instructions from your department below.
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Read all the information on this page
Here you will find what you need to know before your course or programme starts.
IMPORTANT
Your seat may be withdrawn if you do not register according to the instructions provided by your department.
Information from your department
On this page you will shortly find information on registration, learning platform, etc.
Welcome activities
Stockholm University organises a series of welcome activities that stretch over a few weeks at the beginning of each semester. The programme is voluntary (attendance is optional) and includes Arrival Service at the airport and an Orientation Day, see more details about these events below.
Your department may also organise activities for welcoming international students. More information will be provided by your specific department.
Find your way on campus
Stockholm University's main campus is in the Frescati area, north of the city centre. While most of our departments and offices are located here, there are also campus areas in other parts of the city.
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For new international students
The Master's course practical philosophy includes such fields as metaethics, normative ethics and political philosophy. The course is for students who are well-trained in analytical philosophy and who aim to pursue doctoral studies. It includes a thesis of 30 credits.
Admission
Admission is offered only once a year, for the autumn semester.
Application period
March 15–April 19, 2022
Requirements
Bachelor course in practical philosophy (90 ECTS credits) or equivalent.
Eligibility criteria
If there are more applications than positions, the positions will be allocated based on the grades and the relevance of academic courses, the quality/subject of the bachelor thesis and motivation letter. Please do not forget to upload the motivation letter when you apply!
About the motivation letter and writing sample
How to apply
Click on the application box in the right hand column.
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Course structure
Roll call and introduction: Tuesday 29th of August, 10-12, D271, Södra husen
The roll call is mandatory. If you are unable to attend the roll-call, please contact the director of studies to secure your place in the program.
The course lasts two semesters (autumn/spring) for 60 ECTS credits.
In the first semester you will take four modules, one of which is mandatory and the other three are chosen from a range of special topics that vary from term to term. You must pass the examinations of the first semester in order to proceed into the second semester.
Modules
Modules offered 2023 (more detailed descriptions are found below)
Current Research Area 1: Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Current Research Area 2: Social ontology
Current Research Area 3: Discrimination
Current Research Area 1: Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Teacher: Erik AngnerThis course provides an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). PPE is concerned with exploring the intersections between these three disciplines and how they can inform one another. This course will examine key concepts and debates in each of the three fields, as well as the ways in which they overlap and interact.
In the philosophy component of the course, we will study topics such as ethics, political philosophy, and epistemology. We will explore questions such as: What is justice? What is the role of the state in society? How do we acquire knowledge?
In the politics component of the course, we will study topics such as political institutions, voting behavior, and public policy. We will explore questions such as: How do governments make decisions? How do individuals and groups influence political outcomes? What are the consequences of different policy choices?
In the economics component of the course, we will study topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, and game theory. We will explore questions such as: How do markets work? What is the role of government in the economy? How do individuals and firms make decisions in strategic situations?
Throughout the course, we will also examine case studies and examples that illustrate the intersection of philosophy, politics, and economics. We will consider the practical implications of these interdisciplinary insights for real-world problems and issues.
By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of the connections between philosophy, politics, and economics, as well as the skills to analyze and evaluate these connections in a variety of contexts.
Literature: TBA
Current Research Area 2: Social ontology
Teacher: Johan Brännmark and Åsa BurmanLiterature: Burman, Åsa: Nonideal Social Ontology: The Power View (OUP 2023)
Jenkins, Katharine, Ontology and Oppression: Race, Gender, and Social Reality (OUP 2023)
Artiklar i urval av lärarna.Current Research Area 3: The Philosophy of Discrimination
Teacher: Katharina Berndt RasmussenThe phenomenon of discrimination – roughly, the unequal treatment of individuals due to their social group membership – is studied in various disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, political science, and legal theory. It is also a recurring and contested topic in public debates concerning politics, the legal system, and civil society. The philosophical debate has been focusing on three main topics:
1) The concept of discrimination: what are the necessary and sufficient conditions? Are there different kinds of discrimination? Are there reasons to philosophically improve existing folk and legal concepts of discrimination?
2) The moral status of discrimination: is discrimination always (prima facie) morally wrong? What are the relevant wrong-making features? How do these connect to accounts of moral wrongness in general, and to accounts of injustice? Is discrimination on different grounds (such as gender, age, looks) or in different domains (personal, civil, political) morally wrong for different reasons?
3) What ought to be done about discrimination: should counter-measures comprise laws, policies, or social norms? Should they target individuals or collectives (structures)? Should our answers differ for the different grounds and domains of discrimination?
In this course, we will study recent answers to the above questions. Students will gain an overview over current philosophical debates on discrimination, familiarize themselves with key concepts, theories and arguments in these debates, become able to critically reflect on these, and to apply their insights to real-life cases and discussions.
Literature:
Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen (2020/2017) The Routledge Handbook of the Ethics of Discrimination, Routledge.
Additional articles selected by the teacher (all will be available through the Stockholm University library)
In the first semester in the Autumn four course modules of 7,5 credits each are taken. One of the modules is mandatory:
Scientific Method and Research Ethics
Apart from the courses listed there is also a possibility to pick up a 7,5 credit course offered at the undergraduate level, depending on interests and previous studies.
The second semester consists of your thesis work. You will be allocated a supervisor with expertise in the topic of the thesis. The topic is elective but must be approved by the examiners and must fit the research profile of the members of the faculty.
After completing the course, you are eligible to apply for a PhD position. For more information about PhD admissions, please visit the website for PhD programmes
There is a course in Epistemology on the undergraduate level that may be an option. It should be mentioned though that it is not yet determined whether this course will be taught in English.
The second semester consists of your thesis work. You will be allocated a supervisor with expertise in the topic of the thesis. The topic is elective but must be approved by the examiners and must fit the research profile of the members of the faculty.
After completing the course, you are eligible to apply for a PhD position. For more information about PhD admissions, please visit the website for PhD programmes
Assessment
The student must pass the examinations of the first semester in order to proceed to the second semester. Work on the thesis (30 credits) runs for both semesters. The topic is elective but must be approved by the convenor and must fit the research profile of the members of the faculty. A supervisor will be allocated to the student, based on her or his project description. The final grade of the entire course is determined by the grade of the thesis. The exam of the thesis part consists in the thesis itself, a defence of it at a seminar, and an opposition on another student’s thesis at a seminar. We recommend that you study the grading criteria and the guidelines for the thesis.
Note that the demands for the Master’s thesis are higher than for a Bachelor’s thesis, with respect to volume, content, and degree of independence in the writing process. This is reflected in the grading criteria.
There is a strong expectation that the thesis be completed during the second term of the one-year master (magister) course. If needed, supervision can be extended to the term following the one in which the student begins his or her supervised work. Students who do not finish the thesis within these two terms have no right to extended supervision, but they have a right to submit a thesis and have it graded.
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Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course. -
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